Vehicle-tire.



A. B. WET-HERBLL. VEHICLE TIRE.

APPLICATION FILED PEBL 23, 1910.

Patented Jan. 21, 1913.

INVENTOR ITE ANSON B. 'WETHEREIL 0F PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

VEHICLE-TIRE.

To all whom t may conce/m:

Beit known that I, ANsoN B. WETHER- ELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pittsburgh, in the county and State of Pennsylvania, lhave invented cert-ain new and useful Improvements in Vehicle-Tires, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has reference to vehicle tires and particularly to pneumatic tires of the self-filling type. It has for its primary objects; the provision of kafself-filling pneumatic tire, which will augment the an ressure according to the weight of the ve icle, its load, and the speed with which it travels; the provision of auxiliary means within the tire for augmenting the pressure within said tire; and in general the provision of an improved selffilling pneumatic tire. These and such other objects as may hereinafter appear, orare incidental to my invention, I attain by means of a construction illustrated in preferred form in the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification. In the drawing,

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic representation of my improvement applied to a vehicle wheel, a portion of the tire being broken away to more clearly illustrate the parts.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section through a portion of my tire, and

Figure 3 is a transverse section through Figure 2.

In general my invention is designed to provide means in the tire itself for auginenting the pressure in' the main tube of a pneumatic tire. Referring to "the drawing it will be seen that I have shown my improved tire mounted on a wheel 7 of the usual character, and to which it is secured in any preferred manner. The tire is composed of an inner or main tube 8 and an outer shoe or 'tread 9 which is provided with @reinforcing .or stiifening strip 10 of any desired design or character. The inner or main tube 8 is provided with an inlet valve 11 of the usual type. Referring now more particularly to Figure 3, 'it will be seen that the stiffening strip 10 has a flattened or retracted portion 12 adjacent the top of the shoe, thus forming a circumferential opening or passage 13 between the strip and the shoe. Mounted within this opening are two or more secondary tubes 14 extending around the tire, and having an inlet 15 into the main tube 8 at one end,

Specification of Letterslatent.

of Allegheny Patented Jan. 21,1913.

Application led February 23, 1910. Serial No. 545,404.

and at the other end an intake atmosphere. This intake consists of an air passage |17, partially closed and protected by the' cap or plate 18 which is embedded in the shoe and is provided with a vent or open- -ing 19. Within the passage 16 and carried 16 from the by the stiifening strip 10 is a cup or shell 20 with its open end adjacent the vent opening 19. The chief function of the shell is to catch and retain any particles of dirt or dust which may find their way past the kopening '19 as the wheel rotates. The in-l let into the main or inner tube '8 from the secondary tubes comprises a. ball check valve 21, which is normally adapted to restrain any flow of air from the main tube into the secondary tubes, but which permits a flow of .air from the latter into the former. The intake 16 is normally open to the atmosphere, andthe strip -10 1s provided of sufficient stiffness to resist ordinary pressure within the main tube and thus prevents the secondary tubes from collapsing. Assuming that there is sutlicient pressure in the main tube for running, the operation'of my device is as follows; the instant that the intake 16 passes the position indicated in Figure 1 the weight of thevehicle compresses the shoe and collapses or closes the secondary tubes, the air contained therein being unable toescape is forced and pushed around the tire as the wheel rotates until it is forced .within the main tube through the check valve 21, by which it is lrestrained from escaping from said main tube. With every revolution of the wheels the main tube presthe stiffening strip 10 outwardly thereby collapsing the secondary tubes, when of course it will be apparent no air can ente-r.`

The shell or cup 20 ispreferably so con'- structed that when the secondary tubes are collapsed in the manner just indicated it will close the opening 19.

It is obvious that but a small amount of air entering into the secondary tubes is suiiicient to augment the pressure within the maintube and -to maintain such pressure at proper working basis, and it is equally obvious that the weight of the vehicle and its burden, together with the speed are im. portant factors in the operation of my device, the faster being the speed and the heavier the load, the more effective being the operation of the compressing lsecondary tubes.

It is obvious that the location ofl the intake can be changed, and that the various parts can be altered in various ways without departing from the spirit of my invention, the chief feature of my invention being, as hereinbefore stated, the provision of auxiliary' means within the tire for compressing and forcing air into the main tube of the tlre. l

It will .also be apparent that while the preferred embodiment involves the use of a secondary compressing tube, the broad invention is not limited to the use of a tube, but contemplates the use of any and'all compressing means communicating with the main tube of the tire ad. operated by the weight of the vehicle upon the revolving tire. i

Having thus described my invention and illustrated its use what I claim as new and desire to sec'ure by Letters Patent is the following l. A self-filling pneumatic tire comprising a main tube, a secondary collapsible tube around the outside of the main tube and open to the atmosphere at one end and at the other end to the main tube, stiliening means between the two tubes for reventing the air pressure in the main tu e from collapsing the secondary tube, and means for preventing a back flow of air from themain tube to the secondary tube, the stiil'ening means being sutliciently yielding to permit the expansion of the main tube to force such means outward and close the secondary 4tube when the pressure in the main tube open to the atmosphere, stifening means between the two tubes forpreventing the air pressurein the main tube from `collapsing the secondary tube, and means for preventing a back flow of air from the main tube tothe secondary tube, said stiening means being sutliciently yielding to permit of the expansion of the main tube to force such means outward and operate the valvular device to close the secondary collapsible tube to the atmosphere. Y

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of the two subscribed witnesses.

ANSGN B. WETHERELL. Witnesses-z HARVEY L. LECHNER, IDA M 'AY BLAINE. 

